Apparatus for distilling solid carbonaceous material



CCL 27', 1931. R 1 MERR1| 1,828,781

APPARATUS FOR DISTILJJING SOLID CARBONAGEOUS MATERIAL Filed Feb. 25, 19,25v 2 sheets-sheet 1 R. l., MERRILL 1,828,781

APPARATUS FOR DISTILL'ING SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL Oct. 27, 1931.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb.y

Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RALPH LORING- MERRILL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO MERRILL SUPER-POWER SYSTEM, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING SOLID CARBONAOEOUS MATERIAL Application led February 25, 1926. Serial No. 90,490.

My present invention relates to an apparatus for extracting volatiles from carbonaceous materials and more particularly to apparatus peculiarly adaptedv for the low temperature distillation of coal and other similar material in the manufacture of coke and gas for fuel, power, light, and other similar purposes. The object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this type' in the use of which means are provided for so regulating the conversion of the by-products and gases generated as to increase the production obtained from the unit quantity of material treated. These and other advantages are obtained by means of the devices employed for introducingr and conveying the material through several parts of the apparatus, the interior heating of the apparatus and the employment of catalytic agents which tend to separate the gaseous products and together with the heat to act on the viscous or tarry products in such a manner as to enhance the travel of the material under treatment by preventing. the same from clogging the apparatus. These and other advantages will be hereinafter more particularly described in conjunction with the form of the invention as illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectionalA elevation illustrating the apparatus comprising my present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional-elevation illustrating a part of the retort and the internal core heater employed.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a partial elevation in cross section illustrating the heater coils, and

Fig. 5 is a plan showing the circuit controls of the heater coils.

As illustrated in the drawings in carrying outthe invention, I employ a feed hopper 10. This may be mounted on suitable supports 11 and at its lower end terminates in a discharge throat 12 connected to a tubular casing 13 which is inclined relatively thereto. These parts as illustrated are supported from an upright 14 mounted on a suitable base 15 or otherwise. Passing through the cylindrical casing 13 is an auxiliary feed screw 16. This is carried by a shaft 17 which at its outer end passes through a portion of the wall of the neck 12 of the feed hopper and through a stufling box 18 there provided to make a tight joint with the shaft. This shaft 17 is preferably hollow and may be driven through suitable gears 19 and 20 placed intermediatel of the stufling box 18 and bearing 21 in which the outer end of the shaft is journaled. In the throat 12 I preferably employ an oil bath 22 and the oil or other liquid may be supplied thereto through a pipe 23 and its admission to the throat control by a valve 24. It is also desirable to provide a gauge 25 by means of which the height of the liquid in the throat may be observed. Also as diagrammatically illustrated, the material to be treated may be fed to the hopper 10 by means of a chute 26 or otherwise.

The upper or outer end of the cylindrical casing 13 is suitably connected to an upright receptacle 27 which is employed as an injection chamber. This receptacle 27 is mounted on a base 28 and at its upper end is fitted with an intake elbow 29 for the admission of gases or other substances as hereinafter described. In the side of the receptacle 27 and in a suitable position' there is also an intake connection 30 adapted like the connection 29 for the introduction of gases or other substances into the receptacle 27, which, furthermore, in a suitable position in the side thereof may be provided with an injection pipe 31 for the introduction of a catalytic agent into the receptacle. The material to be treated is fed -to the hopper 10, falling to the bottom thereof and being immersed in the oil bath in the throat 12 from which the material is removed by the auxiliary feed screw 16 to the receptacle 27 where it is permitted to drop by gravity to the bottom of the receptacle and to be mixed or comingled with the gases or other agents admitted of this receptacle as hereinlafter more particularly described. The material is thus fed to the bottom of this receptacle. A suitable drain pipe 33 may be fitted in the bottom of this receptacle for drawing off any surplus oil or other liquid that may accumulate therein.

The apparatus for distilling the volatiles from carbonaceous material comprises a revoluble horizontally placed retort with means for exteriorly and interiorly heating the same, devices for feeding the material to and progressively through the retort, and the devices for causing the catalytic action in the gases and products of distillation, to which reference has hereinbefore been made. The retort proper comprises a cylindrical member 34. This is mounted horizontally to turn in bearings 35 and 35 and is caused to revolve by a gear 36 mounted on the retort adjacent the bearing 35 and meshing with a vgear 37 turned by a suitably driven shaft 38 or otherwise. At the end of the cylindrical retort 34 adjacent the bearing 35 and the gear 36 the same is fitted with a bushing or ring 39, iitting within which there is a feed cylinder 40. At one end this feed cylinder 40 is connected to the walls of the receptacle 27 and passes through a stuiiing box 42 provided therefor in the bushing 39 and extends into the cylindrical retort 34 for a predetermined distance, where at its inner end it terminates in a head 43. Mounted on this head 43 is a bearing 44 in which one end of a screw shaft 45 is journaled. This screw shaft 45 carries a screw 46 which fits and turns within the feed cylinder 40. The shaft 45 passes through the receptacle 27, through a stuffing box 47 provided therefor in the walls of the receptacle 27, and at its outer end is journaled in a bearing 48; the shaft 45 being turned by a suitable motor or other source of power either directly or indirectly as may be expedient. Tn the inner end of the feed cylinder 40 adjacent the head 43 thereof there is an opening 49 therein of any suitable configuration making communication between the interior of the feed cylinder 40 and the retort cylinder 34. This opening is preferably at or adjacent the bottom or lower side of the feed cylinder.

Within the revoluble drum or retort 34 I employ screw blades or vanes 50. These are suitably secured to the inner surface of the drum and are suiiiciently wide to extend between the drum and the feed cylinder1 40. The screw blades 50 extend the entire length of the drum 34 and the space between them is gradually increased from the inlet to the outlet end of the drum, and the pitch or angle at which they are set may also progressively vary from one end of the drum to the other.

Furthermore, these screw blades are also preferably made of a suitable catalytic materal. Wit-hin the drum or retort 50 I also employ a core heater 51. This core heater consists of ashell 52 preferably made of steel and fitted interiorly with a partition wall 53 dividing the space within the shell 52 into passages 54 and 55 for a cooling circulating `medium. The shell of the core heater is also circuit wires 58 and 59, by which fromauy weasel suitable source of power, current may be caused to pass to heat the shell of the core heater. Immediately surrounding the shell of the core heater there is a layer of heat insulating material 60 surrounding which there is also a la er of suitable thickness of electrical insulation 61.' Embedded in the electrical insulation there are coils 62 and in the outer portion of the electrical insulating material there is set a plurality'of metallic bands 63.

The coils 62 as shown in Figs. 2` and 4 of the drawings are preferably wound in sets of three loops, and these loops are spaced at varying' distances so that the space between them progressively increases from the end of the core heater adjacent the inlet to the drum 34 to the oppositel end of the core heater. As illustrated in the drawings, these coils are wired so as to be used singly or in any number or arrangement of the same. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, a lead 64 is connected to one end of one set of the coils, the lead 65 to the corresponding end of another set of the coils, and the lead 66 to the end of the other set of coils, these leads 64, 65 and 66 being connected to a terminal 67 to which also there is connected a lead from the source of electrical energ The opposite ends of the coils are connected respectively to the leads 68, 69 and 70 which are carried to the switch terminals 7l, 72 and 73, any one or more of which may be employed to close the circuit at the terminal 74 which by va suitable lead is also connected to the source of elec* trical energy.

rlFhe apparatus also includes a tower 75 for the reception of the products of distillation. As illustrated, this tower 75 is provided with a boss to which the bearing 35 is suitably secured, and also as illustrated, the drum or revoluble retort 34 extends an appreciable distance into this tower where the drum discharges into a chute 76 mounted on a bracket 77 in which there is also a discharge drum 7 8 by means of which the non-gaseous residue from the revoluble retort is progressively discharged to a. tank containing water 7 9 at the lower end of the tower 75. This tank may be supplied with the necessary water by means of a pipe 80 and the water discharged there- I." 'l

from by a. pipe 81 or otherwise. Within the tower and immediately above the tank and also associated with the bracket 77 is a dome or inclined wall 85 from the apex of which a discharge pipe 86 extends for conveying away the sulphurous and other vapors.

formed in and arising from the lower portion of the tower as the coke and other non-gaseous material is cooled in this part of the apparatus. The extreme lower end of the tower 75 is preferably hopper shape as indicated at 82 and leads to a discharge conveyer 83 by means of which the cooled residue may be discharged from the tower and deposited on a belt or other conveyer 84 by means of which the same is carried to any desired station.

In the upper portion of the tower 75 there is also a dome shaped partition wall 87 which leads to a trap 88. At the upper portion of the tower 75 there is a conical cover 89r through which the gaseous products of distillation are withdrawn and carried by suitable means to apparatus for refining the same.

As indicated in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, the bracket 77 and the parts associatedtherewith are connected to the walls of the tower and are provided with a suitably supported cover 90 through which the shell of the core heater 51 extends. From this figure of the drawings and also as will be seen by reference to Fig'. 2, the portion of the core heater which lis litted with the insulating cover and the core windings terminates short.' of the end of the revoluble drum, while the shell of the core heater extends through the tower 7 5 through a packing gland 91 in the side thereof for making a tight joint between the walls of the tower and the shell of the core heater, which at this end thereof is also supported in the collar 90. At the opposite end of the shell of the core heater the saine is provided with a flange 90 by which it is connected to and supported by the head 43 of the feed cylinder 40. The passageways 54 and 55 in the. shell of the core heater may be provided with inlet and outlet pipes 92 and 93 respectively for the cooling or circulating medium which may be caused to pass through the shell of the heater, the partition wall 53 at the inner end thereof being provided with apertures or ports 93 by means of which this circulating medium may flow from one of the passageways to the other.

In conjunction with the revoluble druln or retort and the parts as associated therewith as hereinbefore described, I also employ a heater member which is mounted thereon and within which the revoluble drum 34 revolves. This heater preferably comprises a shell 94 made of suitable material and provided with hubs 95 and 96- through which the revoluble drum 34 passes and in which the same is therefore journaled. These hubs 95 and 96 are provided with stuffing boxes 97 and 98 for making substantially heat tight joints between the heater shell and the drum. The heater is fitted with a lining 99 of heat insulating material, and in suitable positions, preferably at the opposite ends thereof. with suitable burners 100 and 101 by means of which gas, oil, or other fluid may be burned to generate in the chamber' in the heater the required temperature for the proper use of the apparatus; the fuel being conveyed to the burners by supply pipes 102 and 103. In a suitable position the burner is provided with a flue or discharge pipe for the removal of the products of combustion. This is indicated at 104. This discharge pipe preferably extends through the bottom of the heater and has a counter-part in the upper part of the heater which is normally covered by a cap 105. The flue 104 may be connected by a discharge pipe 106 to a blower or fan 107 which in turn may also be connected to the inlet pipe 31.

In the operation of the apparatus as hereinbefore described, the material to bel treated whether it be coal, shale, or other similar carbonaceous material from which the volatiles are to be distilled is supplied to the fuel hopper 10 and therein mixed with a suitable oil which covers or coats the particles of the material irrespective of the size thereof. The material is then carried forward through the inclined casing 13 by means of the auxiliary feed screw 16 which delivers the same to the receptacle 27, the material being supplied to the upper portion of this receptacle and permitted to drop "or fall to the bottom. thereof. From the receptacle 27 the material `is advanced by means of the feed screw 46 through the feed cylinder 40 and is delivered by the same through the opening 49 to the interior of the revoluble drum or retort 34. The material is mixed and carried through the retort by means of the screw blades or vanes 50 and delivered to the tower 75 where the gaseous products rise in the tower and are conveyed to the apparatus for refining the same, while the non-gaseous products pass by the way of the quenching tank to the conveyer 84 and deposited at any desired point or stat-ion. In this operation the revoluble drum is maintained at the desired temperature by means of the exterior heater through which the same passes and also by the core heater placed interiorly thereof. The rate at which the material passes through the drum is determined b the speed thereof and the angle and spacing of the screw blades or vanes 50. 'By means of the regulation of the coils 62 the temperature is maintained substantially constant, inasmuch as the temperature atthe intake point should be such as to provide for the difference in temperature of the material under treatment at the admission thereof and its temperature after having been advanced a relatively short distance in the revoluble drum or retort, and this, notwithstanding the fact that the material is preheated to a certain extent before being admitted to the revoluble drum. The coils 62 together with the steel shell of the core heater act as the primary winding of a transformer with the bands or rings 63 acting as the secondary coil of the transformer, whereby electrical currents are induced in these bands and raise the temperature thereof sufficiently high to prevent the same and the surface of the core heater from becoming coated with the material under treatment and thereby impairing its efficiency. The apparatus also contemplates the use of catalytic agents both in the receptacle 27 and within the retort to eect the gaseous products of distillation to vary the quality and increase the quantity thereof, and also through similar effects, to assist in preventing the material from coating the interior surface of the retort, preventing the same from clogging, and thereby maintaining the efiiciency thereof. To this end a suitable catalytic agent in powder or liquid form may be introduced to the receptacle 27 through the inlet pipe 3l and the gases resulting from the combustion in the exterior heater are conveyed therefrom by the blower or fan 107 and carried to the receptacle 27 as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings, the catalytic agent acting on the gases to disintegrate the same before they are carried along with the material under treatment and admitted to the retort. I may use finely divided nickel as a catalytic agent. This also increases the temperature in the receptacle 27 so that with the temperature of the same as induced from the temperature of the other parts of the apparatus the material under treatment is preheated to a certain extent before being admitted to the revoluble drum. A suitable supply of gas may also be supplied to the receptacle 27 from a fixing chamber 108 by way of the inlet connection 30, and the gases from the quenching chamber may be conveyed therefrom by the pipe 86 and after being scrubbed to remove the sulphurous and similar vapors are carried to the fixing chamber 10S to which is also admitted a suitable oil gas which are therein mixed, heated and conveyed to the receptacle 27 as hereinbefore stated. All these gases are admitted to the receptacle 27 and to the revolving drum so as to induce chemical changes in the gases resulting from the action of the heat on the material under treatment in order to vary the volume and the heat qualities of the gaseous output of the apparatus without including therein the tarry vapors otherwise obtained, which through the catalytic action are eliminated in carrying on the distillation of the material in the apparatus herein described.

I claim as my invention:

l. In an apparatus for the distilling of volatiles from carbonaceous material, a` substantially horizontal elongated retort rotatable upon its longitudinal axis, a casing extending into one end of the saidretort, means within the casing for conveying material to be treated and delivering the same to the interior of the said retort, an electrical heater within the said retort, the said electrical heater comprising a hollow shell means for flowing a fluid through the hollow shell, an insulating covering for the hollow shell, electrical-resistance coils in the said insulating covering, a plurality of metallic bands set in the exterior portion of theA said insulating a'eaaaai cover, and means for conveying an electric current to the said coils.

2. In an apparatus for the distilling of volatiles from carbonaceous material, a substantially horizontal elongated retort rotatable upon its longitudinal axis, a casing extending intoI one end of the said retort, means within the casing for conveying material to be treated and delivering the same to the interior of the said retort, an electrical heater within the said retort, the said electrical heater comprising a hollow shell, an insulating covering for the hollow shell, means for flowing a fluid through the hollow shell, electrical resistance coils embedded in the said insulating covering, the said coils being arranged in sets with cach set spaced at an increasing distance from the inner t0 the outer end of the said electrical heater, a plurality of metallic bands fixed in the outer portion of the said insulating cover, and means for conveying an electric current to the said coils.

3. In an apparatus for the distilling of volatiles from carbonaceous material, a generally horizontal retort rotatable upon its horizontal axis, a casing extending into one end of the said retort, means within the casing for conveying material to be treated and delivering thc same to the interior of the said retort, an electrical heater within the said retort, the said electrical heater comprising a hollow shell, means to How a fluid through the hollow shell, an insulating covering for the hollow shell, lelectrical heating coils embedded in the said insulating covering, the said coils being arranged in sets with each set spaced at an increasing distance from the inner to the outer end of the said electrical heater, ,a plurality of metallic bands fixed in the outer portion of the said insulating covering, means for conveying an electric currentto the said electrical resistance coils, and vanes running helically on the inl ner side of the retort and being spaced at increased distances from each other from the inner to the outer end of the retort.

Il. In apparatus for distilling carbonaceous material, an elongated retort rotatable upon its longitudinal axis having an intake and outlet end, means for feeding material to be treated to the intake end of the retort, an electrical heater extending longitudinally within the retort and spaced from the sides of the retort, said electrical heater being adapted to give a progressively increasing temperature toward the intake end of the retort, material feeding means arranged within the retort and surrounding the electrical heating element to feed the material through the retort towards its outlet end and eXteriorly of the electrical heating element, and.

gas receiving means in communication with the outlet end of the retort.

5. In apparatus for distilling solid carbonaceous material, an elongated retort rotatable upon its longitudinal axis and having an inlet and outlet end, a feed tube extending longitudinally within the retort through its inlet end, a conveyor operating within the feed tube, an electrical heater extending longitudinally within the retort near the feed tube and spaced from the sides of the retort, said electrical heater being adapted to progressively increase in heating effectiveness towards the intake end of the retort, a spiral conveying element mounted within the retort and rotating therewith and surrounding the feed tube and the electrical heating element, and material collecting means in communication with the outlet end of the retort.

6. In apparatus for distilling solid carbonaceous material, an elongated retort rotatable upon its longitudinal axis and having inlet and outlet ends, an electrical heater extending longitudinally within the retort and being adapted to progressively increase in heating effectiveness towards the intake end of the retort, a helical vane arranged within the retort and rotatable therewith and surrounding the electrical heater, the distance between the turns of the helical vane progressively increasing towards the outlet end of the retort, means to feed material to be treated into the inlet end of the retort, and material collecting means in communication with the outlet end of the retort.

7. In apparatus for distilling carbonaceous material, an elongated retort rotatable upon its longitudinal axis, electrical heater arranged within the retort in spaced relation from the side walls thereof, said heater comprising an insulating support, electrical heating coils embodied within the insulating support, and a plurality of metal bands upon the exterior of the insulating support, means to feed material into the rotatable retort and to effect the longitudinal travel of the same about the electrical heater, and material collecting means in communication with the outlet end of the retort.

8. In apparatus for distilling solid carbonaceous material, an elongated retort rotatable upon its longitudinal axis and having a discharge end, means for applying a substantially constant heat to the exterior of the rotatable retort, an electrical heater arranged within the retort and extending longitudinally of the same in spaced relation from the side walls of the retort, said electrical heater being of the induction type and embodying inner electrical heating coil means and outer metallic bands surrounding the coil means and insulated and spaced therefrom, said electrical heater being adapted to produce a magnetic field adapted for acting upon the gases, means to feed carbonaceous material into the rotatable retort, and means to cause the carbonaceous material to travel longitudinally within said retort toward its discharge end.

9. In apparatus for distilling solid carbonaceous material, an elongated retort rotatable upon its longitudinal axis and having an outlet, an electrical heater arranged within the retort and extending longitudinally thereof in spaced relation from the side walls of said retort, said electrical heater being of the induction type and embodying an insulating support, spaced metallic bands mounted upon the insulating support, electrical means for inducing current in said metallic bands, said bands being adapted to produce a magnetic field, metallic material feeding means mounted within the rotatable retort and movable transversely of said bands for increasing the strength of the magnetic field, and means to feed carbonaceous material to said retort.

10. In apparatus for distilling solid carbonaceous material, an elongated retort rotatable upon its longitudinal axis, an electrical heater arranged within the retort and extending longitudinally thereof in spaced re lation from the side walls of said retort, said electrical heater being of the induction type and including a core of refractory material having passage means for a cooling fluid, insulating material mounted upon the core, an electrical heating coil means embedded in the insulating material, metallic bands mounted upon the insulating material and spaced from the coil means and free from electrical connection therewith, said electrical heater being adapted to produce a magnetic field which acts upon the gases within said retort, and means to feed carbonaceous material into said retort. y

Signed by me this 26th day of January RALPH LORING MERRILL. 

